Death Valley- Any one?

“Has any one ever hiker in Death Valley?

If not would you want to?”

“sounds like an interesting trip to me - i don't see why not, the logistics might be different than a hike in say... the mountains, but it'd probably be worth it.”

“the name says it all for me...DEATH. but i hear that it hits like 110 during day and neg. temps at night”

“right now is the best time to go there.It can start getting hot in march-80-90's.”

“There ain't enough reasons for me to want to go there. I'll stick to the high country myself.”

“high country....me too. deserts are too much for me. call me a big weanie...ill stick to the woods.”

“The higher I can get the better!

8)”

“I hear people just fall over dead in Death Valley.But I do have a trail book on it.It would certainly be a challenge.”

“I've desert hiked before. Don't get me wrong, it has some pretty neat qualities but give me the mountains!”

“No doubt, CMB ;)

Tea, I have a friend who hiked the Death Valley area. There are lots of places to explore like canyons and sand dunes and stuff. The next couple of months or the fall would be the best time to do it.”

“"I hear people just fall over dead in Death Valley.But I do have a trail book on it.It would certainly be a challenge."
trekkngirl
09:00:39 PM
02/18/03

LOl, what would be the challenge? living?

sorry girl, but I got a tickle out of that. But really
what is the name of the book?

maple”

“I've been there as a little boy but didn't backpack.

I'm game for a Death Valley hike. Bet the crowds are small.”

“I just read about an ultramarathon from Badwater to the tralhead at mount whitney. 134 miles in less than 60hrs. Runners literally melt shoes running. Birds have been known to fall dead from the air when they hit a hot updraft.”

“I was thinking of doing Death Valley before Sierrapalooza but decided on Yosemite. I want to see those migrating rocks!”

“The Badwater 100. Yikes.

Me too Tango.”

“Those people are INSANE!!!”

“The mountains encircling the Death Valley proper are nearly twice the height of your eastern molehill Mt. Washington. As for negative temps, not in the valley. Likely neg temps in the higher elevations during the winter.”

“I've been to Ballarat, a ghost town west of the Panamints (the Panamints are the mountains on the west side of Death Valley).

It was September. It was 120!!! But, still, more than a few people around. lol!! Did brief hiking in the dunes at Stovepipe Wells, I think.”

“Birch, take the "birds dropping dead" with a grain of salt. It makes for good story telling. Shoes? Well, I guess the adhesive in shoes could melt. Now frying an egg on rocks... absolutely.

The warmest for me on one of my visits was 129 at Furnace Creek. I jumped into the 90+ degree swimming pool and felt refreshed.”

“hmmm, photos are all scrambled in that album. I'll fix them later. It was a Death Valley hike on Saturday, then we drove to Mammoth to Snowboard on Sunday (last season)”

“Those sunset pics are awesome Snownymph!”

“Death Valley requires an aquired taste or you just have to be a desert rat to appreciate it.
My dad loves it altho he only backpacks hi alpine stuff.
I love utah desert but death valley doesnt blow me away like that...however i think it grows on you.
There is a lot of solitude and no crowds.
It is beautiful at night and there are nice dunes and gold (?) canyon that runs thru zabriskie point.
Where else can you camp in winter with night temps in the 50s and daytime in the 70s?
A great weekend getaway in winter.”

“Death Valley is a very interesting place to hike- I hiked there a couple years ago in april- there were wild flowers and we found some awesome petroglyphs. The moving rocks are cool too- if you like driving an hour over a rocky river bed to get there! Forgo going to badwater. Instead stop at the salt flats. Also there are some awesome sand dunes out there that are a blast to climb up then roll down ( if you don't mind sand in your ears.) Oh yeah and watch out for wind/dust storms. I've seen plenty of tents get destroyed out there and it is better if you have a very low tent- A really cool place to hike that is not well know and not really in the park starts at a place called the Date Farm. That hike takes you through an Oasis with lots of mesquite and biting flies, then past old western ruins ( i would show you some awesome pics if I could fiqure out how to post them) through old indian hunting ground where you can still see the cleared spots for the teepees and find stones chipped for tools, throgh dry river canyons with caves along the way to explore. At the end of that is a awesome steep sided canyon where you can do some climbing that leads you to the top of a gypsom and ash sloap (totally fun to roll down too.) Sizable fossils of coral can be found there near then end.

I did this hike a couple years ago with a guide from the date farm ( there seemed to be no maps of the place) and when I was there he mentioned something about the area being closed off soon so I do not Know if the public can get out there anymore.

Anyway there are a lot of very interesting places around there. Don't make the same mistake I did when you go- wear lots of sunscreen even on cloudy days.”

“Badwater -282' to Telescope 11,049' now that would be cool...eerrrr maybe Hot!

It's the second highest escarpment on the continent....second only to Denali.”

“Is it like an internet chat room at the Date Farm?

Date Farm.com?? And you just tell the people your date was your guide??

LOL”

“DV Rocks! I go every year, usually late March to early April, this year it will be the last weekend in March. Great place for photography and exploration. Also visited last August, Badwater was 121*”

“I like Badwater.Its cool to see the highest pt of the park(telescope peak) reflected in the salt water of the lowest pt(badwater) in the western hemisphere.
The drive over to olancha/lone pine from death valley is awesome.Especially when you drive out of the last canyon and see the whole sierra range covered in snow.There is a cross marking th egravesite next to the road just a few miles after you start descending towards owens valley.It marks where 2 children were buried in 1875 while crossing over!!”

“uhhhhh....ya...that about does it.Sweet pic!”

“I've done Telescope and Wildrose Peaks, but I'd like to see more of Death Valley.”

“some really old petroglyphs, Arrastre Springs

Eureka Sand Dunes, highest in CA

looking into Ubehebe Crater, its a steep hike

I've got pics of the Race Track somewhere.”

“The name of the book is "backpacking Death Valley by Chuck Gebhardt & Tom Willis."
Staying Alive
"Unlike hiking in the Sierra Nevada,Cascades,or the Rocky Mountains the desert can quickly claim your life."
Their words not mine.Just gotta go the right time of the year.It's a beautiful place.On my agenda for the future. : )”

“Some friends of mine did the Badwater to Telescope hike last year - it was tough but "fun."”

“LOL Actually the Date Farm is just what it is... a farm where they grow dates. :) They have cool ass shakes they make from dates that they sell. YUM!”